Posted inGovernment Finance & Accountability

Addicted to Gambling in Illinois: ‘Someone Has Decided They Can Make Money Off You’

People in Illinois lost more than $7.7 billion gambling last year. As lawmakers increasingly bet on gambling to pay the state’s bills, they have only spare change to treat compulsive gamblers

by Casey Toner and Maggie Dougherty June 24, 2026June 24, 2026

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Addicted to Gambling in Illinois: ‘Someone Has Decided They Can Make Money Off You’

by Casey Toner and Maggie Dougherty, Illinois Answers Project
June 24, 2026

<h1>Addicted to Gambling in Illinois: ‘Someone Has Decided They Can Make Money Off You’</h1>
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A man spends the last three dollars in his pocket playing a bar slot machine in downstate Golconda on June 4, and then leaves. (Credit: Julia Rendleman/For Capitol News Illinois)

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Casey Toner

ctoner@illinoisanswers.org

Casey Toner, a Chicago native, has been an Illinois Answers reporter since 2016, taking the lead on numerous projects about criminal justice and politics. His series on police shootings in suburban Cook County resulted in a state law requiring procedural investigations of all police shootings in Illinois. Before he joined Illinois Answers, he wrote for the Daily Southtown and was a statewide reporter for Alabama Media Group, a consortium of Alabama newspapers. Outside of work, he enjoys watching soccer and writing music.

More by Casey Toner

Maggie Dougherty

Maggie joined Capitol News Illinois in late 2025 as a Chicago general assignment and enterprise reporter. Maggie is a Virginia native who received her master's degree in investigative journalism from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism in 2025. She also holds a bachelor's degree in international relations and economics from The College of Wooster.

More by Maggie Dougherty